Abstract

Given the rapid increase of web-based sales, e-services (both pure-online and hybrid "clicks and mortar" market plays) are faced with a difficult challenge: What value-added features should they offer to effectively gain market share and profits while realistically considering operational and financial constraints embedded in a perfect market paradigm? This article explores similarities and differences in customer values and switching inertia between different customer segments for e-financial services in the United States. Through a national online customer choice experiment with 2200 online-customers, the authors found that customer values differ widely across segments and online features (such as availability of traditional data-quoting and buy/sell decision support services price, access to a brick-and-mortar retail outlet, and various formats of online accessibility). The results of this study have both managerial and research implications for design and operations strategy development for e-services in other industries as well.